Recommendations from Kepler’s Books

Recommendations of recent books from the staffs of a rotating list of Bay Area independent bookstores. This week’s list is from Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. (650) 324-4321. www.keplers.com

FICTION

The House of Impossible Beauties, by Joseph Cassara: Reading this novel is a complete immersion into the world of 1980s New York City drag, featuring a cast of larger-than-life characters who are as hilarious as they are heartbreaking.

Rainbirds, by Clarissa Goenawan: A murder mystery and a family drama in one, this book is as beautiful as it is understated. The author presents us with a fascinatingly structured look into Japanese society and a depiction of mourning and grief that is universally recognizable.

Trick, by Domenico Starnone: Daniele, an ailing illustrator, is summoned to take care of his precocious 4-year-old grandson. During the four days they spend together, the two engage in an extraordinary game of power between young and old, as Daniele grapples with his fear of death.

Awayland, by Ramona Ausubel: A bewitching collection of stories that hop between the real and the ridiculous. Peaks include “You Can Find Love Now,” in which a cyclops dates online, and “Club Zeus,” set at a mythology-themed resort.

NONFICTION

Without Precedent, by Joel Richard Paul: An examination of the life and work of John Marshall masterfully put into the context of his times. The echoes of his decisions as chief justice still reverberate in our era.

Feel Free, by Zadie Smith: In these essays, the inimitable Zadie Smith moves effortlessly between profundity and levity and between the personal and the political on topics ranging from Brexit to Justin Bieber.

Heart Berries, by Terese Marie Mailhot: Mailhot resists linearity in this impeccably crafted memoir, instead using poetic fragments to arrive at deeper truths about violence, trauma and the cyclical nature of recovery.

Dancing Bears, by Witold Szablowski: An insightful study of the Romani practice of keeping dancing bears, only outlawed after Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union. Szablowski draws parallels between the bears’ struggle to cope with freedom and the human transition from communist dictatorship to capitalism in Eastern Europe.